VIDEO: Kelowna's newest vegetarian restaurant poised to open

Vegetarians take note. Your newest dining option is about to open. It's tucked-in between Landmark Centre and Hwy 97 with the quirky name: 'Frankie We Salute You!'

Proprietors Christina and Brian Skinner describe their menu as "regionally focused" and that commitment extends to the wine list as well. If you're looking for those clever vegetarian items that look and taste like meat, you won't find them at Frankie's. "I like eating both those kinds of food," said Christina "For this space, we've decided to just really focus on the produce. So all of our plates are built around plants and vegetables."

But at the same time, they are reaching out to meat eaters to come in and give their menu a try.

"For me, my most important customer is the meat eater," said co-owner and chef, Brian Skinner. "I understand that palate and I understand how to create a meal that will tick all the same boxes and have them leave full and happy and they don't have to go down to the local pizza joint and grab a slice after they've left."

The Skinners did their market research before going ahead with their restaurant, and it turns out vegetarianism in B.C. is much higher than the approximate 10% in the rest of Canada.

"So we're looking around 30 percent now that identify as either a vegetarian or plant-based, so it's a little bit higher here," said Christina.

The menu gives people a lot of choices. Most of them are vegan-friendly, and most of those that aren't can be made vegan upon request.

As for the name? "Both my grandfather, and Brian's grandfather are called Frank so the name is a tip of our hat to our families," Christina said. "We grew up in vegetable gardens. Both our parents were avid gardeners so it's just a celebration of that really."

At first, Frankie's plans to offer dinner and a weekend with the possibility of lunch service in the future.

'Frankie We Salute You!' opens to the public on May 11.